Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan won Tuesday's special election in New York's 19th Congressional District, the Associated Press projected early Wednesday morning, keeping the Hudson Valley seat in Democrats' hands as the party eyes the consequential midterm elections.
Ryan narrowly defeated Republican County Executive Marc Molinaro, according to the latest unofficial results. Ryan will serve out the remainder of former Rep. Antonio Delgado's term, which expires at the end of the year.
Delgado resigned in May to become lieutenant governor.
Ryan will be the Democratic nominee in the fall for the new 18th District. A West Point graduate who lives there with his wife and sons, Ryan was first elected to the county executive role in 2017. He first ran for the 19th seat in 2018, losing the Democratic primary to Delgado.
Ryan was congratulated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"A decorated Iraq War veteran, a successful small business owner and an experienced county executive, he brings to Congress a proven record of delivering for working families and a longtime passion for public service," Pelosi said in a statement. "Pat Ryan's energetic, entrepreneurial leadership will make him a valued Member of our House Democratic Majority as we carry on our fight to put People Over Politics."
Ryan's success will likely be dissected by both national parties in the next few months as they battle for control of Congress. Delgado beat a Republican incumbent in the purple district in 2018 and the GOP has have seen it since then as a potential seat to flip as they seek to take back the majority in the House.
As the last special election in a competitive district before the November general election, the outcome of this race has been viewed lately as sort of a bellwether for the fall.
For his part, Molinaro will be the Republican nominee for a full term in the new 19th District, which includes a portion of the Hudson Valley but also stretches west to include the cities of Binghamton and Ithaca.
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